Tooth-brush.



A. 0. KRETZSGHMAR.

TOOTH BRUSH. y APPLIUATION FILED MAY 4, 191].

1,025,751 Patented Mal;T 7, 19122.

'v Anm/vers exactl description. f,

UNTTED sTATES PATENT OFFICE.

. :AUGUST 'OTTO KRETZSCHMAR, OF ENDICOTT, NEW YORK;

inaaffai.

Speoic'ation of Letters Patent.

i Application led May 4, 1911. Serial No. 624.944.

b To @E17/ inkom ni may concern: l

"Be 1t known-*that I, AUGUST O VKRETZsCir MAB, a subjectof the German Emperor, and

avresident' of-f'Endicott, in the county of 5 Broome. andjState of. New York, have invented a `new and 'Improved 'flooth-Brush.`

l of which` the folloWingf-i'sia clear, and

This invention relates to device 'of this class which comprises a pair ofrelativelyj movable, opposed brushes, .by means of which the teeth can be cleansed at their' inner and'p'uter sides, simultaneously,v l5 the relatii-'eadjustability of' the brushes permitting the space therebetween -to be varied at will, to accommodate teeth of ldifferent. thicknesses.

The objectof the invention isto provide' asimple and durabletooth brush which materially facilitates the operation of cleans* ing the teet,h,wh'ich shortens the operation,

` in that it permits t-he teeth to be cleansed at the inside and the outside simultaneously, in which the brushes can be pressed toward each 4other with different degrees offorce, as desired, whichis adjustable so that it can suitably accommodate both the thinner,

x-front teeth, and the thicker, back teeth, and 'iwhichwill not injure the teeth', when in use.

.The invention consists in the construction and combination of partsv to'be. more fully described. hereinafter and particularly ,Set

` .forth in the claims.

Reference isto be had to the accompanying drawings forming apart ofvthis specifi.

cation, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all lthe views, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodilnent of my invention; Fig. 2 is asi-de elevation ofthe brush, `showing parts inA longitudinal section; F ig. 3 is a plan view of the brush; and Fig. 4 1s an end elevation 5 of the same.

Before proceeding to amore detailed eX- planation of 4my invention it should be clearly understood that the' brushes proper of each device may be of any suitable form, 50 dimensions and material; preferably they are fashioned from the conventional bristles employed for this purpose, 'and are mounted upon bone, rubber, or other backs.

I am aware that double tooth brushes have 55 hitherto been proposed, byfme'ans of which' the inner lsides andv the:l outer 'sides of the 1.6,.;2 v h tooth brushes, '10 and has. reference more partlcularly to a -tles 13, in any suitable manner.

i lteeth can be cleansed simultaneously. Vith ,my brush however, the separated brushes can be pressed together with diHerent degrees of force and can'be adjusted toaccommodatev teethof different thicknesses. This Patenteaiuay 7, '1912...

adjustability is at all times within the vcon- 10 is also enlarged to form a brush back f proper, 12, in which areset the usual bris- I employ a secondary brush back 14, which is also y provided with bristles,15, similar to the bristles 13. Thel secondary brush is preferably considerably smaller than the main brush. Both may have the 'bristles suitably shortened or cut away near* the central portions, to receive. the teeth and permit the vbristles to come into contact thoroughly therewith. A

'T hesecondary brush back 14: is rigidly securedbymeans of a screw. 16 or in any other suitable manner, upon an arm .17 of a. lever18. lThe latter is preferably stamped from 'inetah and has a Hat arm 19 at an angle with the arm 17 and provided at one end ywith downwardly disposed ears 20. By

means Vof these ears,rwhichare positioned at the sides of the member 10, itis movably mounted upon the same, a suitable pivot pin or rivet 21 being employed. The sheet metal is folded inwardly to form the arm 17,',

.which is thus of considerablyless width than the flat arm 19. At the extremity the metal is. again flattened out into 'suitable 4 form for attachment to ,thesecondary brush 414. At the free end 22, the arm 19 is upwardly disposed fora purpose which will appear hereinafter. I employ a leaf spring 28 secured by means of a screw 24 or-in any other suitable manner, to the .member 10,

'andrhaving the freeend extendingthrough a slot 25of'the'lever arm 19.v The spring .tendsnormally to'holdzthe partsfin pos1t1on such that thebru'shesfare separated.

' claim as new,

A lug'or projection 26 extends vthrough an opening`28 of lthe member l0 and'has one end riveted or otherwise secured to the.

lever arm 19. At its other end, z'. e., at the side of the member 10, remote from the lever, t-he projection 26 has a. laterally disposed part 27 tace and constituting ton or presser. Upon the arm 17 is positioned a sleeve 29 of rubber'or other soft material, constituting a guard to prevent injury to the teeth by the metal 4of the arm .':hen the brush is in use.

.It Will be understood that when the device is in operation, the teeth are received between the bristles of the brushes, as indi'- eated in Fig. 2, and the brush is then used in thecustomary manner, to cleanse the teeth. The brushes are pressed together with the required degree of force, either by pressing upon the part27 Withl the forefinfger or by forcing the thumb under the vupvardlydisposed en d 22 of the lever, as may be convenient. l Having thus described my invention, I

and desireto secure by Letters Patent:

l. A device ofthe class described compris ing a substantially straight bar constituting a handle, a brush carried by said bar, a lep ver comprising angular arms and pivotally presenting a flat, curved sura manipulating but# sheet metal and bar and engaging 'mounted upon saiduba'r, mounted at theye'n-d" of 'one ofsaid. arms, said other arm. of"s"aid lever having a stud 'projecting to theother side of said bar and constituting means to permit Ithe manipulation of said lever, and a spring tending to hold said lever in a normal position. l 2. A device of the class described, comprising a bar constituting a handle, a brush carried by said bar, a lever fashioned from comprising angularly disposed arms pivotally mountedv upon said bar, a secondary brush mounted at the end of one of said arms, the other of said'arms being upwardly disposed at the extremity, so that it can be easily' manipulated, said bar having an opening, said last-mentioned arm of said lever having a stud projection extending through said opening and constituting means to permit the manipulation of said lever, and a spring secured to said said lever and tending to normal position. whereof I have signed my hold the same in a In testimony name to this specification in the presence-of tivo subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST OTT() KRETZSHMAR.

lVitnesses:

JOHN A. HUNT, C. FRANKLIN HUNT.

a secondary brush- 

